A Father Without A Family
by StarWarrior72
Summary: Even Darth Vader gets lonely. Lord Vader seeks to become a part of the family of a young rebel who was captured as Princess Leia escaped the Death Star. What if Vader had acted as a father to Luke before they knew the truth? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Vader looked at the child who had been caught by his stormtroopers as he tried to flee the Death Star. Five minutes ago, creating a bond with the boy had seemed like a good idea. It was a small family for a while and then an opportunity to learn to let go when the boy's sentence was over. Now taking advantage of the young orphan's need for love no longer seemed like a good idea.

_I told myself that I was going to do this and I intend to,_ Vader thought. He stepped into the cell and knelt next to the boy.

Luke Skywalker stared at the intruder in horror. Darth Vader was not the person he needed right now. The only people he wanted to see were his family. Darth Vader was certainly not family. Vader had killed Luke's family. The Sith knelt beside Luke and he pulled away. Vader didn't try to move closer but Luke was surprised to feel a sort of sadness coming from him.

Vader reached out and put one hand on Luke's shoulder. Luke pulled away from his enemy's touch and felt that strange disappointment again.

"What do you want from me?" Luke tried to sound defiant, but he was terrified and it showed in his voice.

"What do you want from me?" Vader's rumble countered.

"I don't want anything from you. Everything I've ever wanted you've already taken from me and even you can't bring back the dead." Luke curled into a ball and tried very hard not to think of the deaths of his family.

"If you think that I'm not aware of this you're wrong. You family is not the only I've killed." Had Luke been in any state to feel the Force he would have felt a wash of sadness and disappointment at these words.

He was not. He took it completely differently than he would have had he known, "Oh, I know. You just kill left right and centre, don't you? And you never have any second thoughts either."

"That's not true. But I understand that you might not want to talk to me." Vader stood again and started out of the cell.

"You killed everyone I love!" Luke shouted at him.

"And I apologize. You were right, however, as you said, I can't relieve your pain completely but if you would accept my offer of attention… I destroyed my own family too. Perhaps we could ease one another's pain. Just let me know," And with that he turned to leave the cell.

_What was that about? Vader is a heartless killer, how could he ever have a family? I guess he had to come from somewhere._ Luke thought in confusion.

"It was not my parent I killed." This time Luke sensed the older man's pain.

"What do you mean?" Luke couldn't help being curious.

"I wasn't always a Sith, Child. I was once a Jedi, though I was not a model Jedi in many ways. I married, despite the rules. My wife became pregnant, but she died before the child was born. She died at my hand." Vader bowed his head.

"Oh." Luke didn't know how to react. He was surprised to feel an urge to move over to Vader and try to comfort him._ I'm going crazy. This man is a ruthless, all-powerful monster. He wouldn't want the comfort of a farm boy._

Vader turned and left the cell. Luke stared after him in confusion. _That was among the strangest things that have ever happened to me. No, that was the strangest, by far. I would never have thought that Vader would care about anything. Why do I care about Vader? He's destroyed everything I love. But somehow I can't help caring about him. _

_I may not be able to stop myself from caring for him, but I don't have to show him._


	2. Chapter 2

The torture became worse and worse for weeks and Luke was beginning to wonder about contacting Vader and begging for help. Lord Vader surprised him by saving him the necessity of giving up his last scrap of dignity.

Vader walked into the boy's cell and stared at the tiny form on the floor. Luke's health had clearly taken a beating in the last few months. He was thin, pasty, bruised, and bloodied. Part of Vader told him to go to the boy, but he knew that if he did the child might be scared. Instead he sat down at the door of the boy's cell and waited for Luke to come to him.

Luke looked over his shoulder and stared at his captor. He was terrified of Vader but at least the man wasn't pressuring him to come to him this time. He was also glad that Vader had respected his pride enough not to lure him with food. Vader just sat quietly by the closed and locked door.

Vader watched the young rebel squirming in terror. He didn't want the poor child to be frightened, but the only way he could think of to stop the child's panic was to leave and then his men would torture the boy again. Deciding that scaring Luke with his presence was an improvement on letting him be tortured, Vader stayed.

Luke moved to see the man whose mechanical breathing permeated the small cell. In doing so he accidently reopened a small would on his thigh. Freezing in an attempt to stop the excruciating pain he saw Vader move as though he was about to come over to him.

The man stopped mid-motion and sat back down. Luke tore off part of his sleeve in his teeth and carefully held it to his wound. Despite the pain in his leg he was glad to have better view of Vader.

The two sat, or lay, in Luke's case, staring at each other for an hour before Vader stood and left the cell.

The next day Vader arrived in Luke's cell at the same time. Again there were a couple of silent hours with the two of them sitting at opposite ends of the cell. Again there were a few minutes when Luke half considered crawling to Vader and slipping under his arm. He never did.

This continued for all most a full month before one day, after a particularly bad day, Luke dragged himself to Vader's side.


	3. Chapter 3

Vader had had his eyes closed while waiting for the young boy to submit, so it was a surprise when he felt something moving his arm. Looking down he saw the small boy pressing close to him, huge tears on his thin cheeks.

Vader pulled the child into his lap and let him moan. Luke seemed so small that Vader couldn't help wondering if the records on the child had been correct about his age. He certainly didn't seem seventeen.

Vader was tempted to speak to the boy, but Luke's eyes were closed. Vader imagined that Luke was trying to convince himself that he was in someone else's arms. Vader let the boy cling to him and he didn't bother him.

Luke pressed against Vader. He hated himself for not being able to avoid this need for human contact. He wished that it was someone other than his family's killer who came to his cell every day. He wished that he was pressed against his father instead of his father's killer.

Vader's huge hands started to brush through the boy's hair. Luke mumbled something quietly and his small hands slipped into Vader's cape and he clung there. Vader allowed himself to forget, just for a moment, everything he had done and just hold the little boy.

Luke pressed his cheek to his worst enemy's shoulder and cursed himself for his weakness. He couldn't help it. Vader came every day, the only person in the galaxy who seemed to care at all what happened to the rebel farm boy. He was almost glad that Vader never brought food. All he ever brought was himself, his strange willingness to listen and his gentle offer of comfort. He treated Luke as an equal, despite the fact that he could kill him with a glance.

Vader stared at the boy who lay in his arms. He seemed so young and weak. He was so small. He refused to be dependant, but he needed love so badly. Vader stroked the little boy's back.

Perhaps this might have been how it would feel to care for his son or daughter if it had survived. Except that then the child would trust him completely, it wouldn't be sending out crashing waves of loathing amongst the gentle wash of happiness that someone had time for it. And most of all then the child would be coming to him with some small hurt, not a massive combination of many large wounds.

Luke shivered and Vader carefully wrapped him in his cape. The boy didn't struggle he just curled into a ball so that there was less of him to cover.

Suddenly the boy spoke, brushing aside his tears, "Why do you care?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you care about me? Aren't I just another rebel?"

"No. I need someone who needs me. Someone who will come to me like this."

"And you were willing to wait all this time for me to be that person?" Luke's hand fumbled with the hem of Vader's cape.

"Yes."

"Can I call you something other than Lord Vader? We won't ever be able to be close if I have to call you by that name."

"After what I've done to your family I can understand if you wouldn't want to, but I like the idea of being 'Dad' to someone." Vader gave a pained smile that Luke couldn't see.

Luke nodded, "I think I can do that. I owe you for your time."

"Please don't think of it as a matter of owing me."

Luke pressed closer to his semi-adopted father. "Thank you, Dad."

They sat together for a while and Vader was vaguely aware that he should have left long ago.

Suddenly Luke looked up at him, tears in his eyes again, "I don't have any information."

"What?"

"I don't have any information about the Alliance. I never even got to their base. I'm being tortured for nothing." His small hands formed fists, "They're trying to get information that I don't have out of me and they're going to kill me for an alliance that lasted less than a day. This is all a mistake. I was never any help to anyone. I just want to go back to the farm and my aunt and uncle. I wish this hadn't happened." With that Luke started to punch every part of Vader he could reach.

Vader caught the child's hands in his own and stroked his back gently, "Hush, Luke. I'm sorry. You're only hurting yourself when you try to punch me."

"I don't care!" Luke sobbed hysterically, "I don't care! What does it matter? They're just going to hurt me tomorrow." He dove back into Vader's arms and hung there. Vader was reminded of marsupials, the behavior of the child clinging to its parent.

Vader stayed in the cell, stroking his adopted son's hair and trying to comfort him. Finally he had to go, though, "I'm sorry, Luke. I was supposed to be somewhere else hours ago, I have to leave."

Luke drew back out of Vader's arms and curled up on the floor. Vader stood and retreated from the cell, glancing back over his shoulder at the tiny body on the floor. "Goodnight, Luke."

"Goodnight."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning when Vader entered Luke's cell the boy was curled in one corner of the cell, clearly nursing new injuries. Vader walked over to him and knelt down beside him. He slipped one hand under his arm and tried to roll him onto his back.

Luke pulled away, "Get away from me, murderer!"

Vader released the boy's thin arm and Luke rolled back into the corner.

"What happened? Yesterday you were willing to accept comfort." Vader was surprised to feel genuine worry for the young rebel.

"I remembered who you are and what you've done! Yesterday you just took advantage of how scared I was," his voice dropped to a murmur, "You killed my father and now you're trying to take his place."

Vader sat back, giving the frightened child more room. "Yesterday you didn't seem so unwilling to forgive."

"I was scared! I would have accepted comfort from anyone. Even you."

Vader moved away from the child, but Luke wasn't done yet, "He was your friend and you killed him! I bet your child who wasn't born would never have survived having you as a father! I hate you!" He curled into a tiny ball and sobbed helplessly.

Vader tried again to comfort the boy he had somehow begun to feel protective of.

"Get away from me! You killed my father and my teacher and my aunt and uncle and you're going to let them kill me, but first you're going to try to steal my loyalty to my family!" And the child stopped, because it is only possible to scream and cry for a certain amount of time.

Vader stood and walked to the other side of the cell to wait the broken, helpless rebel out.

He felt the pain that ripped through the boy's hands as he beat at the duracrete floor. The child's loneliness was his own, his terror Vader's. Vader longed to have the boy crawl back into his arms and allow him to try to help.

It felt strange not allowing himself to force the boy to do what he wanted. Even if what he wanted was simply the chance to comfort.

_Was he right? Had my child survived its birth, would I have killed it? I killed the baby's mother in my fury, is it so unrealistic that I might have killed the child too? In a way I did kill the baby, if indirectly. What kind of father could I ever have been? Being a Sith and all._

_It's not really such a surprise that Luke wants nothing to do with me. I don't blame him. He needs someone, though. Will he come back to me?_

Luke stared across the cell at Vader. He hated the man and he had every reason to. Vader had killed so many, including Luke's family. Again he felt the urge to crawl over to Vader and let the man comfort him. Vader always had room for him. He hadn't left when Luke had been so rude. He was un-judging. He never told Luke to get lost. He seemed so strangely vulnerable, like he actually needed the farm boy. Luke felt Vader's odd pain.

_I need his love. I need someone's love. Vader is just doing what he always does. He takes everything and offers some stupid consolation. He offers you something that doesn't make up for what he's done to you and you have to give him more to get it. He's a cold, cruel monster. He is trying to get something from me. That's the only reason he's here._

_But what he wants from me is love. What he offers is love. His offer is fair. By not mentioning what he's done to me and what he has the power to do to me he allows me to be his equal._

_I could never he his equal. I don't want to be his equal. That would mean that I was like him. I can't see him! If I can see him I'm tempted!_ Luke curled into a ball, hiding his face against his knees.

An hour or so later Vader stood and left the boy's cell. He turned as he left and spoke his words from the day before, "Goodnight, Luke."

Luke just whimpered. Vader left, trying to ignore the hollow feeling of being shunned by the boy.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Luke was waiting, wide-eyed and terrified, for Vader. When Vader entered his cell he got a surprise as the child flew to his neck, sobbing.

Vader carefully pried the boy's fingers off his neck. Luke looked up at him with huge, watery eyes. Vader loosened his grip on the boy's wrists and Luke pressed against his chest plate again. Gathering the child's little legs in his arms, Vader carefully sat down on the cell floor.

He carefully rocked the sobbing child for several minutes, until the boy could talk again.

"What happened, Luke?"

Luke lay back in Vader's arms, wiping tears out of his eyes, "They-they said that you had given up on me. They said you weren't coming anymore. They swore that they were going to break all the bones in my body, and without you there'd be no one to care."

Vader felt a kind of warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. It was the kind of warmth that warmed you from the inside out. He shivered a bit as he realized that he was feeling love for the boy who had been so terrified by the prospect of losing him.

"I won't let them do that to you, Luke. I promise. I can't stop them from torturing you, but I won't allow them you break your bones."

Luke hiccupped and nodded, "I knew you wouldn't. I knew it. I just- I was so scared. Promise you won't let them."

Vader felt the warmth again and he pressed the grill of his mask into the child's hair, wishing that he really could smell the boy's scent and feel the overlong blond hair on his nose. "Silly boy," he murmured, "I already promised."

Luke relaxed in Vader's arms. Vader stroked his hair and let him cry. He wrapped his cape around his little rebel.

Luke felt strange clinging to Vader. Part of him screamed that he was being unfaithful to his father, but another part said that if Anakin had been any kind of parent at all he would just want Luke to be happy. It felt strange to sense the happiness that he was bringing Vader. It was odd to know that Vader had chosen one person out of the entire galaxy to love and that was Luke.

Vader let Luke cry in his arms and stared at the boy who was so unsure of where he stood in the galaxy and even in the Force. Luke could be so full of resentful anger or such unconditional love. Luke was trying to hide from his humanity so that he could be a good son. He really was the perfect son.

Vader considered asking Luke what lucky person had been his father, but he was afraid that Luke would withdraw again. He was also afraid that the father might have been one of the people who had betrayed his especially spectacularly. _If I don't ask him that sort of question he is more likely to open up on his own if he wants to._

Luke nestled under Vader's arm. He had been so frightened that Vader would decide that he wasn't worth loving and caring for. Yesterday he had pushed Vader away, but now he valued every moment in the older man's arms. He could feel himself shivering and he could feel every patch of particularly filthy skin. Vader didn't mind. That meant everything to Luke.

Vader looked at the boy's matted, bloody hair. He felt that he should do something about Luke's discomfort. _Letting him go will be a challenge. I wonder if I'm up to it. I wish he was my baby. I wish Padme were here to help me decide what to do. She would love Luke. Maybe I should take him in. I could give him a home and all the possessions and love he could ever want. Darn, this isn't working at all. I'm supposed to be teaching myself to let go, not trying to take another burden. Oh, Luke. You've made my life even more confusing than it already was. Congratulations._

Luke made a soft sound, partly the coo of a dove and partly the purr of a happy pitten. Vader smiled down at his little burden. Luke sensed Vader's happiness and smiled up at Vader._ I don't think either of us knows how important this is. I love you, Dad._


	6. Chapter 6

Vader had had a very bad day. He considered not going to his little rebel, but he remembered the last time he'd done that. Luke had been terrified. Little arms had clung to Vader the entire visit.

"Dad!" Luke stood and walked to his father's side. He was either unaware or unafraid of Vader's bad mood.

"I'm sorry Luke. Today might not be a good day to talk."

"Please, Dad. Don't go." Luke's hands took one of Vader's. "Tell me what's wrong. I might be able to take your mind off it."

"I am surrounded by idiots and imbeciles." Vader allowed Luke to guide him over to a corner of his cell. They sat on the floor and Luke lay against Vader's comforting bulk.

"Did anything in particular go wrong today?"

Vader counted off problems on his fingers, "The hyperdrive failed because the last idiot to repair the stupid thing mixed up the wires. No one bothered to check that the wires were in the correct order and they spent hours trying to find the source of the power failure. Another moron managed to destroy all the weapons on the entire Star Destroyer. The captain electrocuted himself trying to fix something when there was a qualified man right next to him. He won't be out of hospital for weeks. I can't think of one thing that could have gone wrong that didn't."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Luke felt that he should be able to make it better for his adoptive father, but he didn't know how.

"Don't worry, Luke. You're one of the few people I can't relate to the mistakes. How was your day?"

"Nothing compared to yours. They found out that I have a weird set of pressure points that cause me more pain than most tortures and they've been having fun with them ever since. They forgot to feed me. They twisted one of my ankles and it hurts like you wouldn't believe. Like I said, nothing too new."

Vader looked at Luke's feet. The right one was twisted at an extremely odd angle. He heard the boy's stomach growl. Luke whimpered slightly as he tried to curl into a ball against Vader. Every movement was clearly painful for the child. Vader felt a burning pain for the boy. Everything was engineered to make his life as painful as possible.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Luke?"

"I was wondering if you would teach me to use the Force."

"I can't do that, you might get away."

"Please, just teach me something. Something I could practice to take my mind off the pain. Something that would impress my father." Luke looked at his hands and his voice got very small.

Vader felt like he was being torn apart. Half of him wanted to make the boy happy, but at the same time he knew that anything he taught the boy could be used to escape. "Luke, your father would be proud of you, no matter what. You don't need to be able to use the Force." Vader brushed his adopted son's hair out of his blue eyes.

"Please, just something harmless. It means a lot to me." Luke almost gave Vader puppy dog's eyes, but he thought better of it just in time. "Come on, what harm could I do with, I don't know, levitation or something."

"You'd be surprised."

"I can already do it a bit. Look." Luke pulled off one shoe and threw it against the opposite wall. He held up one hand and levitated the shoe a couple of inches off the ground. "I just want to be better at it."

Vader held up one hand too and made Luke's shoe fly in circles. Luke laughed. Vader carefully gathered his son in the Force too and flew him up to the top of the cell. Luke moaned softly and clutched at his twisted ankle, but as soon as he could keep it from moving he started to laugh again.

Vader gently let his little rebel fall like a leaf, drifting to and fro. Luke landed in his father's lap, laughing softly. Vader called Luke's shoe back and helped him put it on over his half destroyed foot. Luke flinched repeatedly and slipped his arms around Vader's neck for comfort and protection from his pain.

As soon as the shoe was on Vader carefully stroked his son`s back as the poor boy moaned softly.


	7. Chapter 7

Vader's fighter tore across the skies of the rebel planet. Vader snarled in annoyance as his ship bounced as a laser hit him. This stupid battle had already lasted two hours and it showed no signs of slowing.

Luke whimpered as he watched the knife being heated in the fire. As it became red-hot the interrogator pulled it from the furnace. Luke moaned in terror and tried to squirm away, but he was chained to the interrogation table. The other man pressed the knife to Luke's skin and he screamed. As the knife cut it cauterized his wound, but not without adding severe pain._ Dad, where are you? I need you. Please! Make him stop!_ Suddenly the small body fell still on the rack.

Vader felt a sudden pressure on his lap. He snatched a glance down to see what had fallen out of the ceiling of the ship and was surprised to see a blond child. _Is that Luke?_ "What are you doing here, Luke? This is not a good time."

"I'm sorry," Luke's voice was very small, "I don't know how this happened. One minute I was on the torture rack wishing you were there to protect me and now I'm here. Please don't be mad."

"I don't know how to send you back so just stay still, all right?"

Luke nodded mutely and nestled against Vader's chest. He didn't move at all as the battle progressed. He was with Vader and the pain had stopped, that was all that mattered.

Finally the battle ended. As Vader flew back to his ship he looked back down at his burden, "Oh, Luke. What am I going to do with you? They will want to know why I'm carrying a toddler."

"I don't know." Luke pressed his cheek against Vader's cool chest plate. All he wanted was a few moments of willing protection and comfort from Vader.

"Well, then. Let's buy some time. Hold on tight." Vader turned his ship and flew straight down towards the planet.

"What are you doing, Dad? You're going to kill both of us!" Luke put his arms around Vader's neck and held on for dear life.

"I won't kill us. We will be safe. It will only look as though we have been killed. Don't let go."

"I wasn't planning on it."

The hull was on fire and the inside of the pod was getting unbearably hot for Luke. Vader's suit repelled heat. Luke started to cry as his skin started to blister. Finally they landed and bounced along the ground. As the pod cooled, Luke let go of his adoptive father's neck and stopped crying.

"I'm sorry, Luke. It hadn't occurred to me that that would be painful for you."

Luke hiccupped and held his arms out to Vader for a hug and some gentle love. Vader bent and scooped his little rebel up in his arms. Luke put his head on Vader's shoulder. Every moment he was with Vader was an improvement on being strapped to a torture rack. Already his burns were vanishing from his projected Force clone.

"What will we do now, Luke? Are you sure you have absolutely no idea how this happened?"

"Yes."

"You just wanted to be with me?"

"Yes."

"Could you try _not_ wanting to be with me?"

"I don't think it'll work because I can't really _want_ to go back. I'll try, though." Luke closed his eyes and buried his face against Vader's neck. Vader thought for a moment that Luke sort of flickered. "I can't do it. I'm too scared."

Vader stroked his son's hair with one hand and carefully rocked him. "Maybe if you fall asleep you'll go back." He walked to a small cave and carried Luke up into it. He leaned against the back wall and Luke curled up in his arms.

The poor, sleep-deprived child was asleep in moments._ I guess that isn't going to work. Sleep well, Luke. The moment we can figure out how to send you back to your body I'm going to have to let you go._

Luke squirmed in his sleep and started to cry. Vader held the boy close and carefully reached into his sleeping rebel's mind to prod the mental relaxation point. Luke fell still in Vader's arms with a little murmur of, "Dad".

Vader felt the boy move, finally, and Luke sat up in Vader's arms. He yawned and crawled off Vader's lap to stretch like a pitten. Vader couldn't help laughing softly as the child walked to the edge of the cave and curled up in the sun.

"Are you all right, Luke?" Vader walked to the entrance of the cave and sat next to his son.

"I like the sun." Luke smiled innocently at his adoptive father, "But I never get to see it anymore. They're very careful that I don't see natural light anymore. They don't let me see light much at all, actually."

Vader felt the boy's happiness and wished that the child could feel this way all the time.

Luke reached up, on impulse, and kissed Vader's shoulder.

"Err, Luke?" Vader looked at the boy in surprise.

"You needed a kiss," Luke said. Vader decided that appearing as a five year old had certainly affected the boy's shields and decision making.

"Maybe I did. I can't kiss you, but we could choose something we could do instead of a kiss." Vader remembered making secret codes for fun and pulled out an old one. He touched his pinky and index finger and touched his rebel's neck with his thumb, "Would this work for you?"

Luke giggled and followed suit. "Where was that from?"

"A secret language I had with some other Jedi younglings back at the temple." Vader flinched as he remembered the same friends' deaths.

"What should we do about our little problem here?" Vader looked at Luke and wondered if it would be worth taking the child back to the ship and facing any suspicion.

"I don't know. Trial and error?"

After hours of trial and error Luke and Vader were both running out of ideas.

"This is going to be hard to explain to my Master." Vader watched Luke playing in a meadow they had descended to from their cave.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked, pausing half way through rolling in the grass so that he was staring up at his adoptive father upside down.

"I mean that my Master has been trying to contact me for the past three hours."

Luke burst into tears and jumped out of the grass. He ran to his father who embraced him in confusion.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry, Dad. I just wanted to be with you. I was scared! I never meant to get you in trouble." With that the young boy vanished from their clearing.

"Luke?" _You did this on purpose so that you could be with me? Oh, Luke._

Luke found himself back in his cell. He looked at his body and took in the new wounds that he had sustained while his spirit had been in Vader's protection. The pain was incredible. He moaned and curled into a ball.


	8. Chapter 8

Vader held his little boy as close as he could. Luke was so perfect and untouched by cruelty. At least he seemed that way. If you looked at him you could see that he had been hurt very badly.

Luke was glad that Vader hadn't been mad about his visit. He was glad that Vader needed him. He was glad that he was safe.

"I'm sorry, Luke. My schedule is really packed today. We'll have to talk later."

Luke nodded sadly and crawled back out of his adopted father's arms. Vader gave his son a 'kiss' and left.

_Dad?_

_Luke? What is it this time?_

_Are you too busy right now?_ Vader felt his adopted son's hurt at his cold words.

_I didn't mean that Luke._ _If you need me I have time for you._

_Thank you. What am I disturbing?_

_Not much, just another stupid battle that a stormtrooper could take care of. I'm getting sick of my master sending me one these._

_That's too bad. Can't you just have your second in command take over for them?_

_No. Unfortunately I have something of a signature style._

_Right. Yours is sort of hard to miss._

_What went so horribly wrong today that you felt the need to contact me?_

_I wanted to say goodbye._

_What?_ Vader asked in alarm. He couldn't quite believe that Luke's sentence was over.

_I made one of them mad and they swore they were going to shorten my sentence for it._ _I'm frightened, Dad. They've come to get me out of my cell. We're going to where they're going to execute me. I don't want to die, Dad! I want to stay here with you! Tell them not to, please! _

Luke was becoming more and more panicked, so Vader sent him a gentle wash of warmth and love. Luke calmed down considerably.

_One of them has a needle. The contents look very poisonous they're bright green. They say that it'll only hurt for a moment. Oh, Dad, I'm so scared. The needle is under my skin now. They're distracted. Another rebel came in and it's more important that they see to him._

Vader rushed to the comm and called the prison Luke was in, "Do not execute prisoner 1337212. Do you copy?"

"Prisoner 1337212 is already being executed."

"Stop the execution. Take him back to his cell and no not torture him until I have spoken with him."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

_Dad? They took the needle back out. They're coming back towards me. What are they going to do to me?_

_They will return you to your cell where you will wait for me. You will be safe._ Vader sent Luke another wash of warm comfort and he felt Luke relax and drift back out of the Force. As the connection was severed he went back to his work.


	9. Chapter 9

Luke lay on the floor of his cell as Vader returned. As the older man entered the cell Luke sat up and smiled at him. Vader knelt next to his little rebel. The smile evaporated from Luke's face and tears started to run down his cheeks. Vader drew the boy close and rocked him like a parent would rock a baby.

"It's all right, Luke. I won't let you die alone."

Luke brushed tears from his cheeks, "Thank you for coming back. I-I was afraid that you had decided that I wasn't worth your time."

"You are worth it. I don't know what I'll do when you're gone."

Luke didn't ask if Vader would take him in, he felt as though he had already been too much trouble for the Dark Lord. "You'll come with me when they execute me?"

"I will."

"Will you take my body? I don't want to just be left to rot in the dump."

"Of course I will."

"I have something I want to give you before I die. My father gave it to my mother and in her last moments she gave it to me."

"Are you sure you want to give it to me? I did kill your father, after all."

"I'm sure. I don't have anyone else to give it to. You've been like family to me." Luke reached into his tunic and pulled out something on a long cord. "It'll bring you good luck. It's japor."

Vader stared at the snippet that hung from the cord, "You said your father gave this to your mother who gave it to you? Who were your parents?"

Luke frowned slightly as he took the necklace off, "My father's name was Anakin Skywalker. I don't know who my mother was."

Vader scooped him up again, "Luke! My child! Oh, I'm so dense." He stood and spun Luke in a circle, making him laugh.

"What are you doing?" Luke was still laughing as his father stopped spinning him and let his small body fall back against his chest.

"When I was a Jedi my name was Anakin Skywalker. My beloved wife was named Padme. The child who was never born would be exactly your age. We both loved the name Luke. There were so many obvious clues. I had wondered, but I was afraid to ask."

"Are you saying that you're my father?" Luke clung to Vader's neck, afraid to believe it.

"Yes I am. Oh, Luke." Vader stroked his son's hair. "It's time to go home now. Are you ready?"

"Yes! Oh, Dad. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" he pressed his face against his father's chest plate, any feeling that he should be mature in any way, shape, or form gone.

"You're safe now, child. You're safe with Daddy." Vader felt tears trickling down his cheeks.

Luke smiled at his father. Vader carried him out of the cell.

An imperial officer trotted up beside them, "Lord Vader, I can take the boy for you, assuming that you are done with him, of course."

"I am taking my boy home. If there are any trackers or the like in him I would like them deactivated."

"Prisoners do not have any devices in them. It is near impossible for them to escape, so it would be a waste."

"I see." Vader brushed past the man and continued to his shuttle.

He set Luke on the co-pilot's seat and took the pilot's seat. Luke curled into a ball and Vader was reminded that the boy was from Tatooine. He unfastened his cape and wrapped it around the boy. Luke mumbled something he didn't make out and was asleep in moments.

"There you are, my son. Sleep well." Vader smiled and took the controls.


	10. Chapter 10

When Luke awoke, he was curled in a bed, not on the chair he had fallen asleep on. He looked around the room and recognised the japor snippet he had given Vader. The room was fairly sparse and there was nothing really worth remarking.

Luke curled under the blankets, happy to wait for his father in the warm, safe comfort of his home. As he rolled over, he felt bandages on his more painful wounds. He smiled slightly at his father's attempt to protect and comfort him.

Moving still hurt him but at least his body was cushioned by the soft mattress. After almost three months of sleeping on a hard duracrete floor he felt like he was on a cloud. After so long shivering in a cold cell the blankets felt as though they were heating him, he was fairly sure that they weren't.

Luke lay still and felt everything around him. He felt safe. He felt protected. He felt loved. He felt warm. He felt… clean?

Luke pulled the blankets up enough that he could see himself. He was wearing new clothes. He had a bit of a suspicion who they belonged to too. He wore a dark brown tunic and it was considerably too big for him. He felt odd knowing that Vader had washed him and dressed him. Hidden in the weirdness was a feeling that he really was home, he really had found his father.

"It's a bit big for you, I know. You got your mother's height."

Luke looked up to see his father enter the room.

Vader strode over to his son's bed and sat down next to him, placing one hand on Luke's head. "I'm sorry. I tried to comb it out. I just don't have the patience for that."

"Huh?" Luke reached up to take his father's hand and his hand accidently brushed his head. His hair was gone. He laughed.

"I was aiming for a brush cut. I didn't want to have to explain this to a professional."

Luke smiled, "I don't mind. Thanks for trying. It'll grow back, right?"

"It will." Vader moved his hand to Luke's shoulder and started to rub it gently. Luke sighed and curled against his father. Vader was glad to be able to hold his son and stroke his head and let him cuddle close.

Luke looked up at his father, suddenly acutely aware of two needs his father hadn't been able to fill while he slept. "Can I have something to eat?"

Vader stood, "Yes. I will get it. Stay where you are."

"Yes Master." Luke said sarcastically.

He blinked in surprise as Vader flinched.

"What?" Luke was both confused and intrigued.

"I'll tell you later. What would you like to eat?"

"I don't care. At this point I'd eat a mynock. Or a whole flock of mynocks." He added as his stomach growled.

Vader smiled and went to get his son something. All he could come up with was a bit of fruit and leftovers. He frowned at it and wondered absently when he had last got groceries. By delivery, that is. He got some water and carried it up to his boy.

Vader watched sadly as his emaciated son started to eat as quickly as he could. His son's eagerness to get something, anything, in to his system was a very bad sign for his health.

Vader pulled the food away from his son and Luke looked up at his father angrily, "Hey! Give that back!" he reached out to try to take the food back.

Vader put one hand on his son's forehead to hold him back, "No, Luke. You have to slow down. You will just make yourself sick."

Tears of fury appeared in Luke's eyes and the normally soft blue hardened until they looked like chips of ice, "That's easy for you to say, isn't it? I bet you've never gone hungry a day in your life! You have no idea how it feels to be starved!"

Vader hurt as he saw his son's kind features transformed by hatred. It must be bad for his son to get so angry when food was taken away. "Luke, I'm not asking you to go hungry another moment. I just want you to slow down a bit. Would you let me help you?"

The hatred faded from Luke's eyes and he felt stupid and immature for allowing it to bother him so much. He nodded slightly and felt tears of sadness spring to his eyes.

Vader carefully started to press some fruit to his son's mouth. Luke opened his mouth and took it. They sat side by side as Luke allowed his father to feed him. When the fruit was finished, Vader pressed a glass of water to his son's lips and Luke drank quietly.

When Luke had finished, Vader realized that his son was still crying a bit. He put down the plate and shifted Luke so he lay across his chest. He carefully brushed the tears away from his son's cheeks. Luke shivered and rested his head on his father's chest.

Vader rocked his son and let the boy cry. At first Luke resisted his father's gentle touch and comfort, telling himself that he should be able to manage feeling lousy on his own. At last he submitted and allowed his father to just rock him and comfort him.

Finally, Luke managed to stop crying and push his tears away. He looked up at his father, hiccupping, "I'm sorry, Dad. I don't know what's wrong with me," he managed to give Vader a watery smile.

"You've been starved and beaten. You have every excuse to be moody for a while. You must be scared that something will go wrong. Deep down I think you might even be scared that I am lying to you."

Luke lay still in his father's lap. He didn't feel scared. He felt like he had a safe place to live with someone he'd always wanted to know. When he looked underneath that comforting façade he realized that he was afraid to lose it. Luke pressed against his father and Vader rested one hand on his son's head. He didn't know what told him, it might have been the Force but he couldn't be sure, he knew that his father would do everything in his power to protect his only son.


End file.
